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Fatal Work Injuries in New York City - 2013

Fatal work injuries totaled 56 in 2013 for New York City, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in New York City was the lowest since the series began in 1992. (See chart 1.) The highest number of fatal occupational injuries recorded in the city was 191 in 1993.

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2013, down from a revised count of 4,628 fatal work injuries in 2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2013 CFOI data will be released in late spring of 2015.

Of the 56 fatal work injuries reported in New York City in 2013, 15 resulted from violence and other injuries by persons or animals and another 15 from falls, slips, or trips; together these two major categories accounted for over half of the total. (See table 1.) Fatal work injuries from violence and other injuries by persons or animals included eight homicides and six suicides. Homicides declined by more than half from the 2012 count. In the falls, slips, or trips category, 13 deaths were the result of falls to a lower level, a decrease of 6 over the year.

In the United States, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. New York City’s share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was lower at 20 percent. (See chart 2. Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in late spring of 2015 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; New York City’s share was 10 percentage points higher. Contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, or trips each represented 16 percent of workplace fatalities nationally, while in the city, these events were responsible for 7 and 15 percent of workplace fatalities, respectively.

Additional key characteristics:

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the city with 19, compared to 26 the previous year. (See table 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for nine of the industry’s worker deaths, while six fatalities were due to transportation incidents.

The construction industry had the second highest fatality count with 17. Falls, slips, or trips accounted for 11 of the worker deaths and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 3.

Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 19. (See table 3.) Seven of the workers who died were taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at 11, including 7 construction laborers.

Men accounted for 52, or 93 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the city. (See table 4.)

In New York City, 39 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were Hispanic or Latino. Nationwide, this group accounted for 18 percent of work-related deaths.

Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 32, or 57 percent, of the city’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the New York City government.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, New York City, 2012-2013

Footnotes:(1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. Total may include other events not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.(3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation.(3) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships.(4) Information may not be available for all age groups.(5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

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Fatal Work Injuries in New York City - 2013

Fatal work injuries totaled 56 in 2013 for New York City, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in New York City was the lowest since the series began in 1992. (See chart 1.) The highest number of fatal occupational injuries recorded in the city was 191 in 1993.

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2013, down from a revised count of 4,628 fatal work injuries in 2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2013 CFOI data will be released in late spring of 2015.

Of the 56 fatal work injuries reported in New York City in 2013, 15 resulted from violence and other injuries by persons or animals and another 15 from falls, slips, or trips; together these two major categories accounted for over half of the total. (See table 1.) Fatal work injuries from violence and other injuries by persons or animals included eight homicides and six suicides. Homicides declined by more than half from the 2012 count. In the falls, slips, or trips category, 13 deaths were the result of falls to a lower level, a decrease of 6 over the year.

In the United States, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. New York City’s share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was lower at 20 percent. (See chart 2. Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in late spring of 2015 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; New York City’s share was 10 percentage points higher. Contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, or trips each represented 16 percent of workplace fatalities nationally, while in the city, these events were responsible for 7 and 15 percent of workplace fatalities, respectively.

Additional key characteristics:

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the city with 19, compared to 26 the previous year. (See table 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for nine of the industry’s worker deaths, while six fatalities were due to transportation incidents.

The construction industry had the second highest fatality count with 17. Falls, slips, or trips accounted for 11 of the worker deaths and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 3.

Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 19. (See table 3.) Seven of the workers who died were taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at 11, including 7 construction laborers.

Men accounted for 52, or 93 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the city. (See table 4.)

In New York City, 39 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were Hispanic or Latino. Nationwide, this group accounted for 18 percent of work-related deaths.

Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 32, or 57 percent, of the city’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the New York City government.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, New York City, 2012-2013

Footnotes:(1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. Total may include other events not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.(3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown.(2) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Footnotes:(1) Data for 2012 are revised and final.(2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation.(3) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships.(4) Information may not be available for all age groups.(5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.(p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.

Note: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.